The Long Hot Summer - Thank goodness for our Gardens

It's already been what seems like a long hot summer up here in the PNW...and we're just getting started! To make maters worse, we've also got the smoke going on! Unfortunately, this weather pattern we're experiencing, the early heat & smoke, is becoming more frequent & intense when thunderstorm lightning strikes, as well as man-made causes, fuel numerous wildfires in the region & state. That makes it not only hard to enjoy the out-of-doors when you really want to, but just getting a deep breath of air is nearly impossible. Speaking of patterns, the garden provides such joy & respite, giving me ample opportunity to gather artistic shots like this beautifully-patterned Swallowtail enjoying a colorful basket of red geraniums & petunias. The heat & smoke have forced planned garden projects further down the list. In fact, at this rate, it might be fall before we get some rolling. My husband is happy about that, lol! Luckily, a day w-a good breeze blowing in the right direction offers us blue skies, cooler temps & cleaner air and we take advantage of the break, doing what we can. You would love the garden this year! Luckily, we got a head start on cleaning, planting & removing a couple of large trees causing problems before the weather took a turn for the worse. It looks pretty fantastic, too, because, thankfully, we have access to irrigation water, meaning the grass is still green, the plants thriving and a variety of birds & hummers come calling, along w-myriad flying insects & critters! I keep the water features filled as they all LOVE drinking & splashing about in the fountains. Bird feeders, too. Plus, all the perennials & annuals give them the sustenance they need. Our veggies, like green beans, tomatoes, squash & more, decorate the dinner table most evenings, accented by herbs picked right outside the kitchen door. And the fruit & nut trees are full of their special offerings since a major pruning last fall. Happily, my favorite sunflowers are shooting sky high despite the weather. One looks like it may well top last year's tallest at 16 ft. So, we make it work! In the meantime, more time spent inside than out lately means I've been preparing a selection of beautiful images taken in both the upper & lower gardens to share w-you all as fine art prints, greeting cards, mugs & more! Just click on the link you see here to go to my Pixels.com website to view all products available! You will have to return to me here at Fine Art America, though, if you want to leave a comment. That's the way it works on site, for some reason! Make sure to check out 'My Bloomin' Garden' and 'Winged Beauty' Collections, as well as my many pages of Images. Have a wonderful day! ~Brooks

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